Magazine for All Shotokan Karate
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( MAGAZINE FOR ALL SHOTOKAN KARATE ~l_~~~~~~~SHOTOI<AN I<ARATE MAGAZINE MASTER ENOEDA: THE LEGEND. By John Cheetham. Keinosuke Enoeda was born on the 4th July 1935 in the city of Fukuoka in the northern part of the island of Kyushu, Japan. He was the second of four children, his father and mother were both descended from samurai linage. His father, a businessman in import/export, was also an excellent athlete, a strong runner, who also practiced kendo. Enoeda sensei's martial arts career began at the age of six when he took up judo, he also practiced kendo. He continued judo up to the age of seventeen reaching nidan level. It was at this time that he witnessed a karate demonstration by two members of Takushoku university (Tokyo) karate senseis Okazaki and Irea. He Enoeda at Takushoku university in 1953. was so captivated that shortly afterwards (1953)he registered on a four year degree course in business studies at Takushoku - primarily so that he could study karate- do. He was graded shodan after two Enoeda (1972) put the 'Fear of God!' into many students with his fearsome approach to teaching! years at the age of nineteen and two Tetsuhiko Asai who won the event by military and police. Enoeda sensei along years later in 1956, and now sandan, he beating Hiroshi Shirai. In 1962 Enoeda with Nakayama sensei spent several was promoted to captain of the university lost in the final to Shirai and then in 1963 months in Indonesia. Later, Enoeda karate club. Master Masatoshi Nakayama he won this prestigious title, this time toured the USA, Hawaii, South Africa, was his main teacher at Takushoku. beating Shirai with mae geri and gyaku Great Britain and Europe with fellow JKA Master Gichin Funakoshi also instructed zuki. Enoeda also placed fourth on three instructors, Kase, Kanazawa and Shirai. at Takushoku about once a month whilst occasions in the Kata finals with kata, In 1965 he stayed with Stan Schmidt in Enoeda sensei was there. Funakoshi died Bassai sho, Jitte and Sochin. It was South Africa for six months. I spoke to during Enoeda's last year at Takushoku, during this period that he picked up the Stan on the phone from South Africa in 1957. nickname, TaRA - The TIGER, after when he had just got back from Enoeda After receiving a degree in Nakayama sensei said that he had fought sensei's funeral in Japan and he will be Commerce, Enoeda was invited to join like a tiger during a championship. The writing an article in the future about his the elite JKA Instructors course in 1959. 1963 championships were watched by time spent with sensei Enoeda. His main teachers were masters the President of Indonesia, Mr Sukarno During part of 1966 Enoeda assisted Nakayama and Nishiyama. In 1961 he and he was so impressed by Enoeda that Kanazawa in Great Britain. Enoeda reached the semi finals of the All Japan he invited him to Indonesia to instruct his sensei also taught in the USA in 1966 Championships being beaten by personal bodyguards and to teach the with Nishiyama sensei then he came back 4 SHOTOI<AN I<ARATE MAGAZINE to settle in England and later took over from Kanazawa sensei as the JKA Chief representative here. He spent his first year in Liverpool before moving to London and setting up the world famous Marshall Street dojo in the West End of London, which sadly closed on the 30th Sept 2000. He was also made the Chief instructor to the KUGB (Karate Union of Great Britain) a position he held up until his passing. In an interview in SKM issue No.5, Enoeda said.... "In those days karate in England was very small and the KUGB consisted of only a few clubs mainly in London, Liverpool and other major cities. I believe that the foundation of the KUGB comes from the influence of senior instructors from Liverpool. I remember Terry O'Neill was only a young kid at the time but I particularly remember Andy Sherry who was so keen and never ever missed any training when I was living in 1996, Marshall Street dojo in London. Sensei Enoeda leads 'mokuso'. (photo by Rod Butler). Liverpool. In fact he was so keen that himself, to me also. In the 1970's and me.... "Tell him it's O.K., no one is going early morning he would knock on my door 80's I used to hear people say, "Oh! He's to take it off him!" Someone said and ask for some extra special training. really nice if you get to know him, he's got afterwards on the way home, "Bloody When I started in Liverpool I decided that a great sense of humour." Well, to be Hell, he could eat and drink for Japan!" they should train exactly as we had done truthful, I couldn't see that at the time I think, with all due respect, that in Japan so that this would give them a because on training sessions he was, to unless you were a member of the KUGB good karate foundation." me, and many others... bloody frightening! (Karate Union of Great Britain) at some Enoeda sensei had four Japanese I remember in the mid-70's going for time and trained many times under assistants here in the United Kingdom an Indian meal after a training session Enoeda sensei, then it's hard to imagine over the years, firstly was sensei S. Kato, with a group of students (plus Enoeda) or even believe, what a MASSIVE then H. Tomita, then M. Kawasoe and and I was sat directly opposite him. He IMPACT and INFLUENCE this man could finally sensei Yoshinobu Ohta for the past was like a 'celebrity', at the time. I have on your view of karate. Even though twenty years. Sensei Tomita went back to eventually plucked up the courage (after you had your own club instructor (sensei) Japan, sensei Kato set up his own about three pints of larger) to ask him if and also often trained on courses and organisation here as did sensei Kawasoe. he liked his curry? He said, "Yeah! Good, grading sessions with all the big names in Although I trained under Enoeda good!" and that was it. It was a Vindaloo Shotokan here in the UK, senseis Andy sensei many times, and took 1st, 2nd and and 'very hot', sweat was pouring down Sherry, Terry O'Niell, Bob Poynton, the 3rd Dan under him, I did 'not' know him his forehead and he kept wiping it off with late Steve Cattle, Billy Higgins etc., who personally at all, and like the majority of a napkin, he was really getting 'stuck-in' were all senior KUGB instructors, you readers, this 'memorial tribute' and SKM to his food and the guy sat next to me, in always felt that E:NOEDA was your 'special' has been an insight into the man typical dry Northern humour, whispered to sensei, or rather 'THE' SENSEI. He was the leading light, the inspiration, the driving force, the Boss! For me personally I remember that Enoeda sensei came to Jack Tilley's dojo in Stockport, Cheshire many times during the 1970's and to see Enoeda's karate, in his prime, in a very small dojo was awe inspiring and unforgettable! Jack was an incredibly strong karate-man but he always used to say after Enoeda had gone, "Where does he get his power from?" I remember 'vividly' on one of those classes that I personally 'learned' what traditional karate and the traditional method of 'learning' was all about! And who better to learn it from, as an average, ordinary karate student, than a true MASTER of karate-do - ENOEDASensei. We were doing combinations up and down the dojo, typical Dan-grade combinations. It was a 'joy' to watch Enoeda sensei doing these combinations, ;.--- he'd got it down to perfection! After (1979 Plymouth) Enoeda demonstrates with then assistant, Tomita (photo courtesy of Colin Putt). "Yeme," Enoeda sensei was stood right in 5 SHOTOI<AN I<ARATE MAGAZINE front of me. He was looking directly at me and I thought, "Oh! shit, I'm in trouble here!" Enoeda sensei said to me, "You need to make your combinations smoother," and walked away. After the class (before we went to the pub 'of course') I asked sensei Enoeda.... "Sensei, how can make my combinations smoother?" He smiled, and said, "You'll find a way." I went away and thought about it for months and months, I tried everything, then suddenly the penny droppedl "Bloody well RELAX more, get rid of all that tension man!" Students nowadays want to know everything.... "WHY, HOW, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SHOW ME'" They miss the whole point and traditional philosophy contained in Enoeda's few, simple words, spoken with a lifetime of karate wisdom .... "You'll find away." When asked about competition in his day, in the 1984 interview, Enoeda said... "It is completely different now, it is still serious but there is now far less emphasis on blocking, more on making winning techniques. In the earfy days, faifure to block properly would result in injury. The fighting then was perhaps more traditional and blows were generally solid like big hammers to the body! Today f think we must keep power in the technique, otherwise if we only think of 'sports' karate it will destroy the real meaning of karate. For instance, we always practiced to make a good punch on the makiwara, hundreds every day. We must always keep in our training the real Sensei Enoeda (1983) performs kata Gojushiho-sho at his annual summer course at meaning of the whole of karate." Crystal Palace, London.